EWS-FLI1 has been identified as a critical target in Ewing's Sarcoma Family of Tumors (ESFT) over 15 years ago, yet no therapies have heretofore moved from bench to bedside that have impacted on the outcome of the disease. While many investigators have recognized the importance of this target, the biochemical nature of EWS-FLI1 presents drug-discovery challenges.
The paradigm of disrupting key protein interactions may have utility in treatment of other diseases including sarcomas (Helman L J, Meltzer P. Mechanisms of sarcoma development. Nat Rev Cancer 2003; 3(9):685-94) with similar translocations, and leukemias with MLL translocations (Pui C H, Relling M V, Downing J R. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. N Engl J Med 2004; 350(15); 1535-48). A recent review suggests that disordered proteins may be excellent therapeutic targets based on their intrinsic biochemical properties (Cheng Y, LeGall T, Oldfield C J, et al. Rational drug design via intrinsically disordered protein. Trends Biotechnol 2006; 24(10):435-42).
Despite years of in vitro and xenograft studies with antisense and siRNA directed towards EWS-FLI1, none of these is heretofore practical as a human therapy based on inadequate delivery and stability. A recent phase II clinical trial using Ara-C was begun in patients with ESFT based on a comparison of cDNA signatures between siRNA reduced EWS-FLI1 and a panel of FDA approved compounds in an ESFT cell line. The recognition that Ara-C may become useful in ESFT therapy is important, however, there are many reasons not to rely on this early result and to pursue more specifically targeted therapy. Ara-C has a broad spectrum of activity that is very dose-dependent and while it may demonstrate activity for ESFT patients, its mechanism of action is more generalized than simply inactivating EWS-FLI1 with broader side effects as well. Ara-C does not represent the kind of specifically targeted therapy that might result in a major breakthrough for ESFT patients (both to improve survival and reduce long term effects of therapy).